The government in the UK has given a major indication that it is to prepare for the rollout of autonomous vehicles by investigating the pros and cons of self-driving cars.
In America, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed that the federal government will allow self-driving vehicles that don’t require any manual overrides, such as a steering wheel or brakes, to be implemented.
And now Brits might get their chance as the Transport Select Committee has been deployed to undertake a study into the infrastructure that would allow for driverless cars to become a viable choice for vehicle owners.
We have launched an inquiry into self-driving vehicles.
Share your views – submit written evidence by 22 August.
Find out more here: https://t.co/Xo5hFpmRtT pic.twitter.com/sx5r5AogrD
— Transport Committee (@TransportCttee) June 27, 2022
The group will be asked to assess the safety of self-driving cars – both to passengers and other road users – and consider how they would be taxed and insured. It has been reported that insurance companies will be liable for crashes involving driverless vehicles, rather than owners, which could push premiums sky-high.
Supporters of driverless vehicles believe that the technology could remove ‘human error’ from driving, which could cut the number of accidents. However, there are fears about the ramifications of a malfunction in an autonomous car. The Transport Select Committee has been tasked with investigating the safety features that would prevent – or at least minimize – that happening.
Some elements of self-driving – including the use of hands-free in vehicles with lane-keeping tech – were legalized on UK motorways in 2021, although fully driverless features have yet to be given the green light.
The Jury’s Still Out on Driverless Cars
According to a new study, only one-in-five people would be interested in taking a ride in an autonomous vehicle.
Indeed, many drivers would rather parking spots that automatically charge their electric cars as a worthwhile technological innovation, as well as smart heating systems and windows in their home that adjust when they sense somebody is in or out of the room.
Other travel-based innovations people want to see, according to the survey, are drone deliveries, single-person public transport, and even hoverboards. Fans of driving-based video games could also finally get to enjoy the thrill of virtual reality gaming shortly.
Codemasters’ F1 series has another fine outing – and finally adds VR – but elsewhere the additions are slim. The Eurogamer review https://t.co/T54JRiiHfP
— Eurogamer (@eurogamer) June 28, 2022
The developers behind the F1 series have confirmed that the latest release in the franchise will support VR, with headsets including the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive supported. This will allow players to actually feel like they are in the cockpit of their favorite F1 car and is an innovation that will surely take driving games to the next level.
VR is already available in many other gaming genres, including sports-based titles, first-person shooters, and even at some online casinos, where you can hit the roulette wheel or blackjack table with complete immersion. Aggregator BonusFinder US has reviewed the best new sites, and one of their most highly rated – Stars Casino – has a sister site that already offers virtual reality poker via the PokerStars VR platform.
The possibilities of new technology feel almost limitless, and for drivers, it will be interesting to see which innovations come to the fore in the next few years.
But you might have to wait a little longer for those hoverboards just yet…
